Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Over the past 200 years, deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil have caused the concentration of heat-trapping 'greenhouse gases' to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space, somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.

The levels of these gases are increasing at a faster rate than at any time in hundreds of thousands of years. If human activities continue to release greenhouse gases at or above the current rate, we will continue to increase average temperatures around the globe. Increases in global temperatures will most likely change our planet's climate in ways that will have significant long term effects on people and the environment.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation

Transportation sources emit greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The transportation sector is one of the largest sources of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2011, transportation represented approximately 27 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions. Transportation also accounts for over half of the net increase in total U.S. GHG emissions from 1990-2011.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. Transportation Sector: 1990-2003 includes information on GHG emissions from the transportation sector, including how emissions are measured. To find the most up-to-date estimates of U.S. transportation GHG emissions for any year, please see the current version of Fast Facts(5 pp, 1.7MB, EPA-420-F-13-033a, September 2013) or the U.S. GHG Inventory Report.

Transportation Solutions

While transportation continues to contribute a large percentage of U.S. emissions, there are exciting opportunities for the sector to deliver greenhouse gas reductions. Low-carbon fuels, new and improved vehicle technologies, strategies to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled, and operating vehicles more efficiently are all approaches to reducing greenhouse gases from transportation. In combination, these strategies can reduce transportation-related emissions significantly.